Meet Our Instructors

All our Studio Program instructors are practicing artists with a vast range of knowledge and experience to share with their students.

Alan Lacovetsky

Following graduation with a Fine Arts Degree from the University Of Manitoba in 1979, Alan moved to Australia where he worked and taught ceramics for over 10 years. Returning to Winnipeg, he became activitely involved in the community—joining the Stoneware Gallery, becoming the president of the Manitoba Crafts Council, and teaching in the ceramics department at the University of Manitoba. Alan recently completed his masters degree from the University of North Dakota. Having built a studio on his property in the country near Stonewall, he continues to create functional stoneware vessels which he fires in a wood burning kiln.

Allison Moore

Allison Moore is an artist who has worked in a variety of mediums including painting, drawing, collage, and photography. She finds her inspiration in the world around her; whether it be the natural world or manufactured objects from her many collections. During her long and varied career in the arts, Allison has worked as a theatre designer,scenic artist, and art teacher.

Allison studied fine arts at the University of Manitoba, then moved to Montreal to study theatre design at the National Theatre School and Concordia University. In Toronto she worked primarily as a scenic artist in the theatre and film business. Allison returned to the University of Manitoba in 2002 to complete a degree in Education. She continues her school work in the graduate program, studying art education.

Her work has been exhibited in Ontario, Montreal, Korea and Winnipeg. She has taught art at numerous galleries and schools throughout Ontario and Manitoba and is passionate about sharing her love of creating with others.

Bree Bergen

Chris Angus

Chris began dabbling with animation in 1993 as part of the commercial arts course he was taking. He pursued animated film making, eventually completing his first short film, The Urge, which has been screened at several international film festivals and is currently in distribution. Chris is now working on a sequel.

Colleen Chamberlin

Colleen Chamberlin took a pottery class at the Stoneware Gallery in 1993 on a whim, and quickly became entranced with all aspects of clay. In addition to those classes, since 1996 she has spent many summers at the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts outside Victoria, BC. While there, she concentrated on throwing and firing techniques, as well as glaze development. Working in such a lovely location inspired her to build a new studio in order to work surrounded by nature. Her work appears in several Manitoba galleries. Colleen holds music degrees from Mount Allison University, Brandon University, and University of Calgary. When not making pots, she works as a band teacher in River East Transcona School Division. She is excited to be part of the Stoneware Gallery, where it all started for her.

Colleen Leduc

Colleen has a BFA Honours with a major in Ceramics from the University of Manitoba, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. She has lived, practiced, and taught Art in Winnipeg, Ottawa, and the Bahamas. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums and finds great inspiration from working with children and Art.

Crystal Nykoluk

Crystal has a BFA Honors in Ceramics from University of Manitoba. As well as teaching at the WAG, she is the ceramics technichian for Studio Programs. Crystal likes to read, bake, and spend time at her country home and family cabin, both of which provide inspiration for her work.

Curtis Wiebe

Curtis L. Wiebe is a short-film maker, illustrator, animator, musician, and sculptor. Identifiable by flights of the fantastic in settings of winter forests and prairie landscapes, Curtis' art is full of imaginative characters brought to life as puppets, drawings, and elaborate costumes. His highest profile work of art to date is The Pigeon King, a nine-foot public stature that stands in front of the AirCanada building on Carlton St. in Winnipeg, MB. Curtis has a long history of working with children in camp and daycare settings ,as well as in public schools and inner-city community centres.

Dave Krindle

David Krindle left a career as a schoolteacher to become a full time professional potter for over twenty years ago. HIs work combines functional pottery and pieces which relate more closely to sculpture. Most of David's work is fired in a large wood burning kiln that he shares with Alan Lacovetsky. David produces work that is earthy, shows the marks of the making and the marks of the fire.

Derek Brueckner

One of Studio Programs’ long-time instructors (since 1988), Derek also teaches at the University of Manitoba School of Art and the Faculty of Architecture (since 1998). Derek specializes in teaching drawing, painting, design, and most recently, Photoshop. He has exhibited and performed locally and internationally. Artist residencies for research have been completed in Chicago, Italy, and Vermont. Freelance work includes courtroom drawing for CTV National News.

Derek has lectured at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Dominican University (Chicago), the School of Fine Arts at the National Academy of Design (New York City) and in a panel discussion at the 2008 College Art Association Conference in Dallas.

Derek has been the recipient of grants from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, and the Vermont Studio Center. Reviews of his work have appeared in Border Crossings, the Winnipeg Free Press, and the Globe and Mail. Education includes a BFA (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and an MFA from Hunter College, City University of New York. For more information see Derek’s website www.derekbrueckner.com

Dimitry Komarov

Doug Melnyk

'Doug Melnyk works in drawing, video and performance, often in collaboration. He is the author of "Naked Croquet", "Doctor Meist", "Fruits" and the zine, "The Story of Roy". His work is represented in collections at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. '

Doug Smith

Doug Smith was educated at the University of Manitoba in the Fine Arts Diploma Program. He majored in ceramics and continued as a sculptor in clay for several years, eventually making a shift towards drawing and painting. His art has been exhibited in several group and solo exhibitions throughout Manitoba, the United States and Europe. Some exhibition venues include The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Burke University in Ohio, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam and Plug In ICA in Winnipeg. His work also resides in many corporate and private collections, including Manitoba Hydro, Great West Life, Manitoba legislature, Blue Cross Canada, as well as the Manitoba and Canada Art Banks.

Since 2001, Smith has been working primarily on a large-scale and on-going drawing project. In a parallel art-making enterprise, Smith has also been experimenting with collage/painting - a process of pictorial construction that incorporates self-styled and painted paper elements adhered to wooden panels.

Jayne Cormack

Jayne is a graduate of the University of Manitoba School of Art (BFA Hons) and is currently pursuing a degree in Education. Jayne explores conceptual art with the use of open media, including drawing, performance and photography. She has worked as a group leader for children/youth summer camps at the University of Manitoba and is interested in furthering her work with children, and exploring the profound benefit artistic expression can have on youth who struggle to find a voice.

Lyndsay Ladobruk

Lyndsay Ladobruk art work has been shown in galleries and venues across Winnpeg. She has also has shown nationaly and internationaly. Lyndsay is the Co-founder of her own artist run center call The Central Canadian Center for Performance. Lyndsay attended the Universtiy of Manitoba with a thesis in Video art and a major in Drawing. She began teaching Children Adutls and teens 6 years ago with the the focus on giving the student their own creative voice and freedom.

"I view art as the physical manifestation of day dreaming. Dreaming of what could be and making it a reality."

Marianne Jonasson

Marianne teaches children’s mixed media and cartoon art classes as well as adult watercolour. Her performance art has been seen at various venues around Winnipeg and she has displayed paintings in several of the city’s galleries.

Megan Krause

Megan graduated with a BFA honours at the University of Manitoba in October of 2011. Aside from painting surreal landscapes in her studio, she has taught mixed media to both adults and children, was a mentor for the Young Artists Program through the WAG and the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and is a Mentee in this year's Foundation Mentorship Program through MAWA. She resides in Winnipeg with her husband Jesse, and together they support each-others artistic endeavors.

Nancy Litchfield-Hutchison

Nancy has completed her Honours Thesis in Painting at the School of Art, University of Manitoba, a bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Professional Teachers Certification. She has shown her work in several group and solo show in various local venues including Ace Art and The St. Norberts Arts Centre. She is currently completing an extensive figural sculpture project based on her interest in children, psychology and cultural expression.
Nancy has been coordinating and teaching classes for special needs students for 20 years at the WAG. She has also taught Mixed Media and Clayworks classes for children 7 to 18 years old. Recently she has had the pleasure of teaching clay and sculptural classes for adults.

Neda Kianmehr

Neda Kianmehr is a versatile artist who has worked in different areas of visual arts including painting, illustration, graphic design, printmaking, and puppet making. She was born in Tehran, Iran in 1983. As a child she was fascinated with painting and there was always a story behind her paintings. At the age of six, she moved to Ghana with her family where she got enchanted and influenced by the African colorful textiles and mysterious nature. She got her BA in graphic design from Azad Art & Architecture University of Tehran in 2007. Interested in illustrating children’s books, she pursued her dreams in Italy and got her Advanced Illustration Certificate from Scuola del Fumetto (Comic School) of Milan in 2009. Her works have been featured in sereval exhibitions in Venice, Tehran, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Milan, and Torino. She currently lives in Canada where she works as an illustrator and an art teacher. Her works can be found on www.nedakia.com and http://nedakia.carbonmade.com/. (Updated Sep. 2012)

Racheal Tycoles

Racheal Tycoles is a painter whose subject matter is industrial landscape that focuses on the obscure and loss. She has a BFA Honors from the University of Manitoba and a MFA from the University of Cincinatti.

Racheal has exhibited her work on a local and national basis with solo exhibitions at Ace Art, Site Gallery, Franco Manitobain Cultural Centre, Arch II Gallery, and the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Architecture, Winnipeg; Hamilton Artists Inc, Hamilton Ontario; and Michal Mine Gallery in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She has been in group exhibitions at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, University of Winnipeg, and the Art Gallery of Windsor (Edward Day Gallery of Toronto).

Racheal has recieved numerous grants from the Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council. Her work is in private and public collections locally, nationally, and internationally and has been reviewed in newspapers and art publications.

She has served on several juries and has taught for many years in the Winnipeg art community. Racheal works in her studio at home.

Rose Montgomery-Whicher

Rose has taught children and adults in a range of gallery, community, and university settings in Canada and England, including the National Gallery of Canada, Kettle's Yard, a University museum of 20th century and contemporary art in Cambridge, England, and the University of London. In addition to a BFA, she holds an MA and a PhD. Her research and writing on drawing have revived her own artistic practice. Her drawings focus on nature and the ordinary and overlooked things of everyday life. She finds inspiration in the fresh vision and spontaneity of children's art work.

Sharon Hall

Ashinabie artist Sharon Hall (White Wolf Woman) has been an arts instructor and arts facilitor for the past twenty five years. Sharon is a traditional designer, craftsperson, and painter. She is a graduate from University of Manitoba (BFA) Dean’s Honour List (1992) with numerous exhibitions and commissions to her credit. Sharon is currently working on several projects that combine her unique and diverse talents.

Sharon starting painting at the age of fifteen in high school and graduated from R.B. Russell High School commercial arts four year program. She was inspired by her grandfather, parents, and elders who passed on the traditional teachings. She is presently working for Studio Programs preparing a new body of art work based on the art education curriculum for the younger generation.

Susanna Portnoy

When Susanna is not teaching all her talented students at Studio Programs she is acting in films and plays, learning to parler francais, trying to find time to paint at her studio and attempting to fill her life with as much glitter as possible.

Valerie Dewson

A versatile artist, Valerie’s work is influenced by music, nature, and words. She has taught art classes for several years for Studio Programs and other organizations. Valerie has exhibited her work and enjoys being active in the arts community.

Vitaliy Yatsevych

Vitaliy teaches classical academic drawing and painting to his students but also has a strong interest in all artistic styles.
He got his art education in Ukraine, Europe studying at the Kosiv College of Applied and Decorative Arts then continuing at the Precarpathian University, Faculty of Art where he received his MFA (Honours) working on research and classification of history of art. For several years he taught university students the fundamentals in academic drawing and painting using traditional methods and organized students in open air practice and field trips. Since 1996 he has participated in regional and national art exhibitions.
After moving to Winnipeg, he is actively participating in different art projects.